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Calman reforms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Antony Gahan*
Affiliation:
Drug Dependency Unit, Homerton Hospital, Homerton Row, London E9 6SR
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Abstract

Type
The Columns
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2000

Sir: I was interested to read Cavanagh & Haut's survey of higher psychiatric trainees to assess satisfaction with changes brought about by the Calman reforms (Psychiatric Bulletin, August 1999, 23, 493-496). The survey uncovered dissatisfaction with the new specialist registrar (SpR) grade, which took the place of the senior registrar (SR) grade in 1996. Little objective evidence was found of differences between the two grades. However, one such difference is that of pay scales. The abolition of the registrar grade has meant that trainees remain on the senior house officer pay scale until they are appointed as SpRs. In addition to this, the SpR scale starts at £23 300, compared with £26 840 on the SR scale, and only reaches the higher figure at the fourth point of the SpR scale. Therefore, rather than the reforms putting “training at the top of the agenda” (Reference SmithSmith, 1994), they could be more cynically viewed as a costcutting exercise. The authors found that more flexibility for time in higher training and restoring the SR title would help to improve morale. Surely restoring SR pay would further contribute to such an improvement.

References

Smith, R. (1994) Challenging doctors: an interview with England's chief medical officer. British Medical Journal, 308, 12211224.Google Scholar
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